Thoughts Pending
by Lotus Aia
Summary: Kyo, after returning blows to Akito, is hospitalized in a coma. He wakes up, but continues with a coma charade. All hell breaks loose in the family, and Yuki seems to have found a new side to the cat that he likes. YAOI Yukikyo
1. Manipulation

Author's Note: Morning everyone. How are you today? I'm delirious, et toi? I just got back from getting my blood drawn, and decided to write a ficlet... wee...! I'm terribly sorry if the beginning bores you, but I'm really trying to stretch out my talents and actually put some thought into these stories. As a result... they're kinda verbose. TO MANY BIG WORDS! GAAAH!

And anyone who can give me a good word that parallels 'sentence' gets extra brownie points and a post card. I used 'word structure' but I'm not even sure if that's anywhere near the same as the word 'sentence'. Until then, you must endure the gruesome "ANDRAIA'S BRAIN THESAURUS," which isn't really trust worthy as a good thesaurus at all.

I own nothing yadda blah blahdy yah.

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Chapter 1: Manipulation

Yuki adjusted on the uncomfortable couch pillows, propping himself up better so as to keep his arm from cramping up. As a result, the jerking movement made him lose his place in the book, the last word that he had read was in the middle of a sentence. He sighed placidly and seized the opportunity to at least get completely comfortable on the couch before locating the beginning of his lost sentence.

When the enshrouded phrase was found, he finally became aware that what he was reading was boring and irksome. The book was too tedious to read at the dreary moment in time. The words would enter through his eyes, but were lost in a chaotic thought process that had nothing to do with the book in the first place. In other words, he was seeing the pages, but he wasn't retaining any of the information that he was reading. He skimmed back through the last few pages of drab, realizing just how much he had 'read' and not remembered. None of the last chapter sounded familiar.

The Prince collapsed himself backwards against the couch, falling loosely and molding into the still acerbic cushions. He knew the cat was home somewhere, although he hadn't actually catalogued in which direction Kyo had gone when surging into the house. Yuki noted the plant near the hallway had had a malicious encounter with some intensified slaughterer, and figured that Kyo had sanguinarily taken his anger out on the house and gone in that direction. He was probably on the roof now, his safe haven in the midst of all things evil.

Yuki snorted. Kyo _was _evil.

No... Kyo was just angry was all. He wasn't evil. He was... tempestuous... and he riposted viciously at unnecessary times. That was his problem really.

The crimson ball of rage which had been dubbed Kyo Sohma when born, was really just a kitten. He didn't understand everything. Ignorance was one of the most dangerous weapons, and Kyo used it a lot.

Yuki snorted at this. Putting the cat down even in his thoughts was fulfilling in itself. He looked off to the side though, admitting mutely that there was something about Kyo that made his heart pound once in a while. The cat, even after all the put downs Yuki had spat at him, all the jeering and instigating he had done to send Kyo into a seething ball of furry rage, the cat... still had something about him. He had to lament, if the two weren't bitter rivals, they would have made very good friends and partners. They could have worked together like clock work and everything would go right for them.

But...

There would never be any such luxury, for the cat hated the rat, and the rat, in turn, took pleasure in igniting that hate every time they met.

He knew he shouldn't provoke such behavior, but being called such things as 'pretty boy' and 'prince' by the abhorred pussy cat, Yuki felt justified in taunting Kyo, and returning the harassment. Besides, if Yuki didn't torture and repay the _felis domesticus_, who would? Not that Yuki could emphatically call Kyo a house cat, for even when not in cat form, Kyo was never really domestic in any way, shape, or form. Keeping to the point though, no one ever really dared to challenge the convulsive kitty. Of course there was Haru, who on a regular day of being Black Haru, attempted every now and then to gallantly take out Kyo in a fit of fury which was usually deficient of grace. Haru, when angry to such levels, didn't really keep his calm exterior.

It was not uncommon to observe Kyo lose his poise or what grace he did possess. Kyo in fact lost all seemliness every time something happened to him that didn't involve a fist. As soon as a fight broke out though, Kyo's gracility was at it's peak. He moved like a true cat when engaged in a hostile battle. In normal fights that didn't include Yuki as the opponent, Kyo Sohma was calm, collected, thoughtful, and he never hesitated or changed his mind in mid-move. Yuki watched Kyo fight for reasons other than learning his opponents movements.

Kyo moved like no other. He fought with ease and in turn, this created the most peculiar ora of being better than his opposition. Yuki often admired the fit body and cat-like agility in Kyo. He had never seen anyone fight so beautifully. Maybe it was just a guy thing to admire a well landed blow or an eminent execution of an efficient move. It was a good quality to be dexterous in a fight, and Kyo could move his hands around so fast that his fists could strike at least four times before the victim knew what was going on.

Again, though... not against Yuki. Yuki liked to use a mental sword in his fighting. It was no exaggeration that he was great in martial arts, but then again, the cat had trained just as long and probably harder than Yuki had. Yuki's secret weapon was what held Kyo down. All the Prince had to do was influence him, instigate a mental panic by igniting an angry flame.

Anger was the root of Kyo's failures. Not just in fighting, but in life. He was too angry at everything, and that anger blinded him. It barred his ability to think clearly and rationally while fighting, and as a result all grace, dexterity, efficiency, and even agility was lost in a whirl of emotions. All Yuki had to do was take the opportunity of one hesitant motion and blow him out the window with a single well landed kick, or whatever happened to be left open by the thoughtlessness of the perturbed cat.

And thus, Yuki always won. He knew how to manipulate the pussy cat. Manipulation was his number one best quality, he'd learned from the best after all.

- --

Author's Note: Too verbose? Eh? I'm in Hawaii right now. So it's hot and my brain is still kinda zombi-fied from the time change. Wee!

Edit note: 9/29/05 - I changed a few words here and there do to some constructive critisism I earned. Thanks for the treviews of Thoughts Pending Chapter 1! More to come very very soon!

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**Aimee: **Thanks! I did change the words. The 'posterior' thing was my autocorrect, but I was spelling something else wrong so it changed it to 'posterior'. I missed it completely! Funny thing- according to my dictionary, grcility is a word! I have a computerized one that gets updates a lot, maybe it's a brand new word? I didn't think they just radomly decided that though, so maybe it's an outdated word. I'm not sure. Thanks,though! The next few chapters I didn't spend so many brain cells on, so they're more in my league. This was a practice!

**Pinksnow:** Thanks! It was a first try for the artistic touch!

**Mangez-Maltesers:** Yes, I went easier on the next few chapters, not so many words. ... I'll send you a post card... because I'm a nerd, too. I like getting into Yuki and Kyo's head. It's simple yet complex all at the same time. I don't make a whole lotta sense most of the time, ya know?

-Aia


	2. Ignorance of Two

Yay for another chapter! Sorry it took so long. Reviews welcomed, flames laughed at.

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And yes, I know Kyo would never cry... but... I was sleepy... ignore it then. Works either way.

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Oh, and this might be s poiler for those who haven't gotten to eleven or twelve in the mangas. So if you haven't read that far yet coughMikicough, you've been warned!

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Chapter 2: Ignorance of Two

Some people have good days, some people have bad days, some people just have days, which is in between the good day and the bad day. A bad day is usually referred to as 'one of those days' when everything just seems to be going wrong. Kyo was not having a bad day. He wasn't having a good day. He wasn't even having a day. He was having the worst day he could possibly have. In fact, he was having an explosive temper tantrum on the roof.

Yuki came blowing up the ladder like there was a bear chasing him from below. "What the hell are you doing!" he stared with harsh wrath-laden eyes.

Kyo turned viciously to the rat and only glowered. The hole which he had so astutely pounded into and through the ceiling tiles still had his foot plugging it up. He ripped his foot out of the hole and faced the rat full on.

Yuki prepared for some rage-driven attack or a dense accusation of some wrong doing perhaps. He received neither for a long time, and in this drawn out period of aught, he noticed with alarm the sparkling tears that beaded Kyo's cheeks. For a moment, he was at a loss, and Yuki being at a loss was, in a whole, the worst possible thing that could happen to him.

"Kyo?"

Kyo just watched the rat with mixed emotions. He didn't know how he wanted to act towards the rat at the moment. Anger? He didn't want to piss Yuki off and have to deal with that right now. Sorrow? The rat would only jeer him about it. Sarcasm? No, he couldn't bring himself to be even morbidly sarcastic. He just wanted to be angry by himself. Yuki was the last person that he wanted to see at the moment, but of course, the rat was the first person to approach him.

"Just... go... Yuki." he pleaded with him. It was a new sensation for him, this pleading business. He never begged anyone like that, especially not the Prince. It felt oddly demoting, and it made his anger seem to dampen, then ooze into a despairing humble state of mind. He felt the urge to suddenly curl up into a ball and weep, but that would be far to out of character for Kyo. At least, when someone was looking.

"What's wrong?" Yuki took a hesitant step forward, reaching up to touch a smear of black that was on Kyo's cheek. "What's this?"

Kyo jerked his head to the side to avoid the hand, but didn't step away to retreat from the oncoming foe. "Please, leave Yuki. I'm asking nicely." he tried desperately to persuade the rat to leave him alone. It was always at the wrong times that Yuki tried to hang around. He always managed to do the exact opposite of the cat's desires. When Kyo wanted him to stay and fight, Yuki left. When Kyo didn't want to see the Rat's face, there he was. Now was no exception. "Yu-"

"That's nail polish... Akito?" he asked, a semi-concerned expression etching his eyes. It couldn't have been that bad, Kyo's visit to Akito. "You didn't fight back, did you?" Yuki's heart did a double beat as it raised up into his throat. Fighting back to the sadistic, arrogant Akito was like self-annihilation.

Kyo suddenly huffed a dry smile at the mention of 'fighting back.' He looked off in the lush green forest area that surrounded Shigure's house, rolling the words that had been spoken in the encounter through his mind. He could tell Yuki, now. About the bet. It was over after all. Bet was off early. Akito had that power. The damn rat would find out soon anyway. He was Akito's second favorite after all.

"Did you attack-"

Kyo's eyes flashed over to Yuki, suddenly red hot. "Yes. Alright? And I don't want to hear a lecture about it from you. You're not a part of this any more anyway." Kyo turned his back to the rat, kicking a few broken shingles out from beneath his foot, then watching them skitter down the roof and fall with a _flop_ to the ground below.

"'Any more?'"

Yuki was not dense. He listened to every word anyone said to him. He caught everything out of place, out of regularity. Kyo's hint was only too blatant.

Kyo looked back with a dull hatred, but his heart slowly dragged the hatred down to mix in with his previous despair, the sorrow over powering the detest he carried for his cousin at the moment.

"Leave me alone, Yuki."

The Rat Prince was suddenly, and quite deeply, unnerved. Something was gravely wrong with the cat. Oh so wrong. In all normality, there would be none of the 'Yuki' business. It would be_ kuso nezumi_, or _bakayaro_, or _bastard_, or something like that. Some name which was not his own. And there should have been anger involved with this whole situation, but there was not a trace of his lustful hatred, normally boiling over and bubbling with such horrific disdain that Kyo was bright red with flaming eyes. It was like his pilot light had gone out inside him, and all of Yuki's ignitions were ineffective. With no ever-burning flame to start the raging fire, the spark Yuki made was abstract. Yes. Something was very, very wrong.

"Ask someone else... please. I just don't feel like talking about it right now." Kyo sunk down to a sitting position where he was at the apex of the roof. Yuki stared at his broad shoulders and back for a moment before quietly excusing himself and climbing back down the ladder. Asking someone wasn't such a bad idea.

o0O0o

Yuki swallowed the lump in his throat, but it didn't go away. His mind hovered over a state of shocked silence as he listened to Hatori's calm voice on the other end of the phone line.

"...So... in short... Kyo beats you, he becomes one of the family. He loses... he becomes Akito's new toy." Hatori sounded almost bored now. "Please Yuki, I've explained this so many times today. And I need to get going. Kyo managed to get a hit in on Akito... I have to go back in now." His voice was void of emotion, but a restricted drop of dry anger seemed to slip out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Hatori. I'll talk to you later." Yuki felt hung up on the lump in he throat and sat for a moment, still and quiet in his thoughts.

He felt like he as floating where he sat, levitating in a haze of confusion, pity, and sorrow. Kuso neko... what was he thinking? Making a bet with Akito was like gambling his soul to the devil; the devil won no matter what. He gripped the chair, finally realizing he was not hovering, but sitting firmly in it's down cushions. His knuckles turned several shades of white before he lashed out, the rage to much.

The coffee table skidded away angrily, hitting the couch parallel to him. "Bakayaro..." The cat hadn't been thinking. Why would he make such a precarious deal? He knew nothing of the wrath which Akito was capable of. He'd never been there like Yuki had. He'd never... he didn't know. He just... didn't know what he had been getting himself into.

Yuki stood up, but stopped mid stride. Where exactly was he going? He had been determined only seconds before. Now he stood at a loss, looking around himself. His eyes fell over the strewn magazines which had sailed off of the table he'd kicked, feeling guilty suddenly. For more than just kicking the table. He felt guilty for being ignorant about the deal. He thought he was smarter than that.

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Kuso - damn

Bakayaro - literally means idiot guy. But... in this case kind of like 'bastard'

Neko - cat

Nezumi - mouse

Will give rice crispy treats to those who review! (Yay for bribery!)

-Aia


	3. Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 3: Calm Before the Storm

"Oi! Kyo!"

"Mm."

"Kyo!"

"Mn."

"KYO, WAIT UP!" Haru blared, assuming his cousin couldn't hear him seeing that he was getting no response from the feline.

Kyo turned on his heel, a deep crimson glare etching his entire face. "Go home, Haru." he ordered, turning back around to continue walking.

"It's lunch time, unlike you I still have two classes left." Haru slowed down as he reached the stony-faced cat. "Hey... you got any plans?" Haru's voice lowered in the secrecy and danger in his chosen subject.

Kyo threw an angry glance to the white-haired young boy. "Shut up, Haru, get back on campus where you belong."

Haru could feel the unwelcoming spirit emanating off Kyo like heat waves, but he had taken the time to find the baka neko and wasn't about to give up so easily. "Kyo... don't bury yourself deeper into the hole, alright? He's fine... when you just do as he says." Haru murmured, glancing away in what could have been taken as embarrassment.

Kyo smirked at Haru in a sideways glance. "That how you manage to stay on his good side? Being a good little listener and obeying his every word?" he taunted, his morbid sarcasm was back to full force, dripping off of all his words today like searing hot molasses.

Haru gave Kyo a short glare before casting his eyes downward to follow the sidewalk. "Yeah. Saves me from later troubles. Like what you've gotten yourself into." Kyo didn't react viciously like Haru had anticipated. Instead he stayed silent and walked on, either completely ignoring Haru or listening silently. Haru continued on in the hopes that the cat really was listening. "Just do what he says and maybe he'll let you go. He doesn't like you anyway, he just wants to bother you. Maybe, after he has you around so much, he'll let you go again if you don't piss him off."

With an absent minded thoughtful air, Kyo glanced over curiously, "It's me we're talking about. You really think I could pull that off?" he snorted, a serene air of acception coming over his being. "Akito's gonna kill me one way or another. He hates me. Doesn't want me around."

Haru looked momentarily alarmed, checking Kyo's face to make sure that he wasn't making a declamatory exaggeration. "What's that supposed to mean? He won't kill you..." he was angry at Kyo for even bringing up such an option.

Kyo gave Haru a sideways glare. "Haru. You have no idea what goes on between us when we're alone. He's threatened my existence more than once. Believe me. - Go back to school, Haru, what are you doing? I have errands to run for Torhu."

And with that, Kyo gave Haru a well landed shove, directly into a passing telephone pole. Haru grunted and winced as the pole echoed from his many layers of jewelry clashing with the metal. He growled at his cousin, but turned swiftly and startid at a quick pace back towards the school before his absence was duly noted. Kyo was impossible sometimes, but being in such a situation as he was currently, there was reason enough for the attitude.

o0O0o

Yuki stepped onto the porch with an abject sigh at the door. He'd had to much on his mind for the last few days. The house before him had made a change in the last week as well, becoming somewhat empty at heart. It was as if Kyo had a death sentence hanging over his head and all the world was meant to watch and wait for him to finally disappear once and for all. Shigure's sense of humor had completely vanished, his vein attempts were only lame endeavors to keep the house, to some extent, in a cheery disposition. Whereas the attempts lacked heart, as did the rest of the household's exertions to try and bring moral up.

The house was quiet and lonely when he walked in, making the Prince wonder if Kyo had even come home. Everyday, he half expected to come home to an empty house, then never see the orange headed boy ever again. So everyday, he made discrete searches to locate his cousin just to substantiate that he was either missing or his whereabouts were still present.

After checking the regular spots the pussy cat was usually found in, his hunt turned out fruitless. If still at home, Kyo was not in his routine hang out areas. He checked Kyo's room one last time to make sure he hadn't missed the fur ball hidden under the messy covers of his never-made bed. They were relatively flat, and the room made not a noise.

"Yuki." Kyo called, having passed the hallway and noticed the inquisitive Mouse.

"Oh... there you are. I couldn't find you." Yuki stepped away from the cat's sacred new room, rubbing his arm as a nerve twitched irritably.

"...Yes?"

"What?"

Kyo snorted, amused suddenly. "You wanted me for something?" He couldn't help a teasing eye for he was not used to being the one who new where the conversation was at. Yuki had always had the upper hand and could talk Kyo into a corner.

"Oh... Um... I was just wondering if you were home." he looked at the cat's cool eyes which didn't flicker with even a hint of emotion.

"Well. Then I've answered that question." he continued past the hallway and returned to the livingroom, a book in hand. After some careful thought, Yuki followed him, stepping lightly and preparing to turn in another direction if he suddenly changed his mind.

Kyo had reclined on the couch, taking up all the space and relaxing to the fullest, holding the book up above his head and glancing over the title page. He ignored his grey haired cousin who came and sat directly beside him on another couch, watching idly the cat, who at the present, ignored him.

Stagnate eyes upon him finally became unnerving, so he looked over with an exasperated huff. "Now what?"

Yuki swallowed hard in hesitation, but forced his calm demeanor back into control. "Can we talk?"

Kyo flopped his arms above his head to rest on the couch arm, a flat look making Yuki squirm. "Obviously we can. We both said our first words on the same day." he shifted and waited for Yuki to spit out whatever he was trying to say.

"I'm sorry."

Kyo stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to do. He let it process a moment, his mind skipping a beat when he wondered if he'd lost a memory. What was Yuki sorry about? Had he done some mean feet and not told Kyo about it? Or perhaps Kyo just hadn't noticed?

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Yuki's eyes cast downwards to gaze at the shadow of Kyo's outline. "That I didn't... that I didn't see it. The bet. I should have seen it. I'm sorry that you have to go live with Akito now..." he waited for a dark sarcasm which was easily predicted from the pussy.

Kyo snorted, "Why are you sorry? It will get him off your back now. Besides. Not your fault I can't beat you. Well, technically it _is_ your fault, but... it's my fault for being so weak. I thought I could do it."

He didn't know how to feel about this little heart to heart he was having with the rat Prince, but Kyo felt no hostilities further than the dripping sarcasm which everyone he met today was forced to endure. Yuki on the other hand only became further despondent. He knew that Kyo was so mellow because he had accepted his fate and knew just as well as Yuki did that the cat would be exterminated eventually, if not tortured to his end.

"Kyo..." Yuki heaved a sigh, preparing to verbalize the rest of his fleeting thoughts which had been depressing him. Before his sigh had ended though, the phone sharply pulled both of them out of the conversation. Yuki stood up, ready for a break suddenly.

"Sohma residence." he murmured, thieving a glance at Kyo to see what he was doing. He was looking directly at Yuki though, curious to the phone. The grey haired boy felt his eyes hanging on him and squirmed, crossing his unoccupied arm across his chest.

"Yuki. It's Hatori. Is Kyo home?" Hatori always was very direct, Yuki mused that he had probably acquired that skill from him when growing up, considering he'd seen Hatori more than he ever saw Ayame.

"Yes. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Please."

Yuki walked over and handed the phone to his cousin, mumbling an explanation. "Hatori..."

"Thanks." he grunted back, taking the phone and leaning his head into the ear piece. "Yeah?"

Yuki stepped back and watched, unawares that he was staring expectantly. He'd never really been thanked before like that. Not from the red headed nuisance at any rate. A feeling of subdued confusion passed over his mind, followed by an uneasy curious spirit hovering in his chest, causing him to continue the blank stare at Kyo.

It wasn't until Kyo growled though that he realized what he was doing. An immediate sense of danger loomed when he noticed the angry red cheeks and fire brimming eyes. "Fine... Fine... Yeah... I'll be there in a bit." he muttered, hanging up without warning to glare at the phone in hopes that Hatori might possibly feel it on the other end.

"What's wrong?" Yuki asked sitting back down finally on the foot stool he'd previously been occupying.

Kyo's eyes unintentionally flared at Yuki, but dimmed at seeing the alarm from his cousin. "Akito wants me to come see him for a meeting or something. I don't know. Akito wants me now." he threw the book across the room, watching it hit the wall and slide down abjectly to crumple on the floor.

"But Shigure's not home to drive you..." Yuki looked at the clock on the wall. "Where is that _hound _anyway?" he stood up, taking the abandoned phone from Kyo's chest, which at the moment of contact tightened under his cousin's fingertips.

Yuki hesitated, refraining from turning pink by preoccupying himself with the phone to call Shigure. After only a few distressing moments on the phone with Shigure, Yuki turned to look back at his cousin whose crimson hate was wrathfully laden upon the wall.

"Shigure gave me permission to take you in his car. He said he won't be back for a while. He's with... someone." his cheeks flushed from the words Shigure had so daintily used to describe the someone Yuki was referring to.

"Oh... are you allowed to drive me that legally?"

Yuki shrugged it off, going to the coat rack in order to locate the keys to the only vehicle available to him. "It doesn't matter. We can blame it on Shigure." he muttered, quickly letting go of the 'self-lubricating' liquid he had found mixed in with the keys from Shigure's pocket. "Come on then."

Kyo got up with relatively no fuss, excluding the grunt of annoyance from having to pull himself from the comfortable couch he had melded to. Impassive eyes told Yuki that the cat had suddenly become very thoughtful of his arriving situation. Yuki had become more serene at heart than usual though, and agreed silently with the cat that this did not look good for his orange headed cousin.

I have a double leave early this year, so I figured Kyo deserved one, too. Next chapter is rated for violence, but you don't get to see it yet. It'll be up as soon as I check it over a few times. Chapters one and two I didn't feel like editing as much. As the title decrees, it is only 'the calm before the storm.' The storm, as you will find out, is a lot more... graphic and detailed. Not too much violence, but considering I live in Horror movie central, I'm totally used to gore. This isn't gory though. I promise. It's just heart wrenching here and there.


	4. Still Got Fight

Chapter 4: Still Got Fight

_"Shishous-san? Is there anyone better at martial-arts than you?" Two bright adoring eyes stared up at 'Shishou-san', small beads of sweat scattered across the little boy's forehead slid agonizingly slow down his face. He rubbed them away and stared intensely at his sensei._

_Shishou glanced down at the boy with impassive eyes, contradicting the enthusiastic eight year old's demeanor. "Of course there is. There are people all over the world that practice martial-arts." his water bottle was a short distance from where he had been, only moments ago, perfecting technique for his up coming exam. Kyo joyfully scurried forward and took his own water bottle from beside his mentor's._

_"But what about here? In the house? Are you better than everyone else here?" Kyo persisted, in denial of any such proposition that there was someone better than his Shishou-san. _

_Unexpressive eyes faulted. "No. There is someone here better than I am."_

_"Who?"_

_This time Shishou maintained his cool exterior, even as the cold name dripped caustically from his lips. "Akito-san."_

"Ah!"

That fist had came out of nowhere. There was no way he could have caught it though, with both hands occupied with two of the other limbs his opponent was trying to sink into him. His block hadn't been quick enough, only pushing the short punch away from the middle of his chest and to his shoulder, where it landed still with full force, knuckles imbedding in muscle.

Kyo spun from the force, catching himself on a chair before he stumbled to far. A rumbling sound in the pit of Akito's stomach made it's way into his throat, then out of the jaw-clenched grin on his face till he was laughing and hissing at Kyo's doubled over stance.

"What's wrong, _Kyonkyon_?" His words spilled like venom from the fangs of a snake who hadn't sunk his teeth in any prey for a long time.

Kyo's pride grinded in the pit of his stomach and he stood up, exhaling sharply from the pain in his ribs, feeling blood trickle out of his mouth as he did. The pain was in the corner of his mind though, a inferior thought at the moment.

_"How come he's better?" Kyo refused to completely believe Shishou-san. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been lied to. Shishou had just last night told him that the mush he gave Kyo for dinner was pumpkin pudding, when it was in fact carrot mash with cinnamon. There was no trusting Shishou after that little event._

_Shishou didn't answer though and instead set his water bottle back down where it had been before. Kyo prepared to ask the question again in hopes that it would irritate Sensei enough to force an answer from his tight lips. Shishou had only required time to think out an explaining process to the young boy._

_"Akito is special, Kyo. He has different powers. That's why he'd the head of the family." Shishou stepped back out onto the training floor, stretching his arm behind his head languidly, his distracted gaze on nothing in particular._

_"Is he a ninja?"_

_"What? No!"_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Kyo, there are no more ninjas. They're just on tv."_

_"Oh. You're really sure?"_

_"Kyo... Akito doesn't need to use martial arts. Come on. I want to see your kata again. Maybe you've improved over the last two minutes." he snorted drily and pointed to the spot in front of him demandingly. Kyo quickly filled the appointed space and became rigid in front of his Sensei, bowing deeply before standing up again. _

_Shishou watched half -heartedly, a touch of worry was panging at the back of his mind, which bothered him. For some reason, he had a very hard time talking to Kyo about Akito. Kyo was, after all, the cat._

Kami, he hated Akito. With every bone in his body and flame in his soul, he hated the bastard. The one that hung above him like the god he posed to be and laughed in pure love for the bloody wreck he had caused Kyo Sohma to become. Kyo's hope began to sink as the black haired black eyed boy before him lorded above with nothing but a bloody nose and a scathed cheek.

Kyo felt almost crippled, the only means of stability he had was the chair he was currently gripping. His left knee was bent awkwardly in a grotesque V shape in the wrong direction. The subtle _drip...dripdrip_ of the blood draining from his shirt was evident even as his sensitive ears rang with demonic laughter from the boy god. There was an astute pain in his front and side that Kyo knew was a pair or more of broken and bruised ribs. Raw flesh has been ripped up in places Akito had landed several blows, the skin coating the demon's knuckles while Kyo's blood dripped from the killing hands.

Still... he ignored the pain, the sudden loss of breath he was experiencing due to blood dripping down the back of his throat, and he ignored the crying he felt from his body, begging to be put to rest. He shook with unparalleled hatred, the fight within him still raging out at the head of the family. He gripped the chair with both hands and gave a horrendous yell, lifting the chair, with pure will, to swing the steel at his antagonist.

For a fleeting moment, the laughter stopped short with a surprised gasp. Kyo's fire was rekindled and hope sprang from the ashes. He'd gotten another good hit in.

The chair had barely rounded past Akito's head, the momentum continuing Kyo's arms to the side. It took only but a second. Kyo blinked the blood from his eyes, the next sensation was that of being off balanced, then falling into a vase which quickly gave way into shards of glass, embedding into his back.

Akito's rage had been unleashed. Before had been pure joy in the fight. Kyo's disoriented mind couldn't concentrate on anything now. The world around grew smaller and become a coffin of punishing blows to his body. All around there was thrusting pain, landing in the softest spots, and the already battered areas.

_"Give it a rest Yuki." Shigure snorted, idly watching by over the rim of his graphic novel. He'd been keeping an amused eye on the two boys even as the process of bickering between them had promptly gave way to a severe battle of fists and feet. Yuki had finally snapped at his cousin and decided to give into the childish chiding. Kyo blocked feebly from the ground as Yuki raised his fist again, bringing it down into an opening on Kyo's shoulder. "Yuki... come now... he's got no fight left." Shigure coaxed again, his _strenuous _effort to pull them apart obvious as he stared at his book with plastered eyes. "Why don't you let him off the hook this time and go look in the phone book for dinner?" he suggested only half-heartedly._

_Yuki stood up, chest out and grey eyes throwing daggers at his bloody cousin. With not a second glance he turned and started back for the house._

_"I've still got fight... come back here..." Kyo turned onto his side, but froze up and stiffly rolled back over in pain, holding his shoulder. "I've got fight..."_

Kyo opened his eyes, wincing as a fist centered suddenly on his cheek. His eyes drifted up to peer at the snarling face above him. So billowing and rage-filled was the face that the cat couldn't help a short snort of amusement. He'd done it; he'd broken Akito's superior air and attitude which he'd never once let slide from place. Through bruised and puffy lips, Kyo managed one last dripping, sarcastic retort.

"Wazzamatter, Akido? ... Cat... got your tongue?"

-Aia

Review answers!

**A lilmatchgirl**  
2005-10-20  
ch 3, signed 

Thanks, and yes, I did feel like toning down the first chapter, but I didn't bother to mess with it. A lot of the chapters I write are fillers for big scenes like this one points up and bloody mess named Kyo Nother chapter soon!

**BakaDen**  
2005-10-13  
ch 3, signed 

(pats on the back) I hope I didn't scare you with this one! Was it too much for you?

**Dark-Lady-Devinity**  
2005-10-11  
ch 3, signed 

Apparently there was good reason to worry, ne? Not over yet! (looks around for fat lady just to make sure) I hope you didn't cry...! DX

**BakaDen**  
2005-10-10  
ch 2, signed 

(gives BakaDen rice crispy treat) Munch on that and try to overcome the horror I placed before you.

-Aia

I hope I didn't completely turn anyone away! It gets better, I promise. This was just the story turning point. Don't run away! Pleeaaaase! It alright!

-Aia


	5. Fabricated Angel

Chapter 5: Fabricated Angel

One last crash and splintering wood echoed throughout the cabin. Yuki's bottom lip quivered, a short exhale became an unconscious whimper. Silence for a few moments, the yelling, laughing, panting, crashing... stopped. Those present in the room held their breathes in anticipation for the next horrendous crash, or maybe laughter from their masochistic leader. Instead, the door flew open, slamming into it's cradle and threatening to bounce closed again from the force. Before it had rebounded more than a foot, it splintered and crackled, the paper door and wooden frame crumpled. The once proud looking traditional door now crippled and shredded, due to the brutal hand which had taken wrath upon it.

"Get the body out NOW!" Akito bellowed at Hatori, pointing back at the room. He grabbed Ren viciously by the arm and jerked him into following obediently towards another room in the cabin.

Silence fell over the three that were left standing in his wrathful wake, all sharing fearful glances at one another. _Did he really? _Their eyes all shared the same distressful dread. _Did he really kill Kyo-kun?_

Yuki couldn't stand it anymore, bursting into the room with blurry eyes. The air caught in his throat from the smell and sight that surrounded him. Sweat and blood speckled the floor everywhere, the soles of his shoes were already red and slippery. The appliances were over turned, broken glass made a milky way trail through the deep red puddle of crimson that seemed to be emanating from a hidden source beneath the cracked and overturned table.

Yuki crept forward slowly, slipping anyway in the slick liquid and falling to his hands and knees beside the table. He looked lower, his breathing stopped. "Kyo..." he murmured, lifting the table up and shoving it aside. He gazed at the mass in horror, the sudden urge to vomit making his body jerk forward in a dry heave.

"Kami..." Hatori pushed Yuki aside with a gently shove, kneeling down beside the beaten pile of flesh, blood, and bone.

Shigure stepped up behind Yuki, a delicate hand brushing his lips as the other went to Yuki's shoulder to comfort. "Hatori... is he alive?" His voice wavered, horrified at the side of his young companion.

The dark haired Sohma pulled from his medical bag a stethoscope, for he could not feel anything from the neck of the once orange headed, now red-stained cat. He pressed fervently with the stethoscope onto Kyo's bruised chest. "There's a heart beat. He's alive. Go get the car ready, Yuki. Shigure, help me carry him." his brusque commands were quickly obeyed, Yuki escaping the sight of his once handsome cousin, now masticated and unrecognizable, by running out of the house and into the driver's seat of Hatori's car - a sanctuary of angels from the demonic house of Akito.

- --

"Is he going to stay in a coma forever, Hatori? -Hatori! Are you listening! Hatori-"

"Shh, Momiji, he's talking to the other doctor, shut up!"

"Aaaaoow!"

"Will you two both be quiet please, I'm trying to listen!"

"Yuki, you can't understand any of the mumbo-jumbo doctor talk, so-"

"Haru! Please!"

A long pause from the trio of young Sohmas and Kyo had to wonder if they were still there. The doctors conferred for a while longer in hushed tones of remorse.

"There's no tell tale signs, Dr. Sohma." the hospital doctor murmured gently. "Like I said last week. Could be two weeks, could be twenty years. You should know that, Hatori."

Hatori was silent a long moment, contemplating and staring at his younger cousin. "Yes. I do know. There was always the hope that you'd learned something I hadn't Dr. Kaori." he murmured. "Thank you for escorting these two here. I'm sorry if they were any trouble." his voice hadn't moved from monotonously remorseful as far as Kyo had heard.

"No trouble at all, Dr. Sohma. I better get going. Give me a call if there's any change." he closed the door behind him, leaving on that comforting note.

Kyo winced when a sudden finger poked him in the cheek. A joyful noise escalated into Momiji's high pitched voice directed at Hatori, "He moved, Haa-san! He made a face when I poked him!" He reached out to do it again, but was batted away from the defenseless Kyo-kun.

"Leave him alone, Momiji, it's just a reaction." Yuki spat bitterly at the younger Sohma, who whimpered at the violent response from the usually impassive rat.

Haru placed a gently hand on Momiji's shoulder. "He's just tired. He's been here every day for the past two weeks. We've only been here twice. We're terrible family members." Haru mused at the sudden realization of their absence.

Momiji had insistently begun to tug on Hatori's jacket, who was trying hard to read something from a medical sheet attached to a clip board. "Yes, Momiji?"

"Haa-san! Is he going to stay like that forever?" his voice was less pleading this time and more frightened, now that he knew he would receive an answer.

"I don't know, Momiji. There's no way we can tell." Hatori answered, a forcing tone in his voice distinctly informed Momiji not to further apply pressure to the issue, in light of the fact that he was tired, stressed, and worried.

Momiji, as child-like as he was, knew wholly what that tone meant and backed off, dropping his feign mask and becoming exceedingly quiet. He walked over to stand beside Yuki again, watching Kyo's solemn face with morose respect. "Yuki-kun. Kyo will be okay. He just has to rest up. He survived Akito... that just made him really tired is all." he assured the grey mouse, the optimistic tone straining not to falter.

Yuki sighed, shoulders dropping in a mental surrender to the boy. "Sure, Momiji. That's very plausible. Do you and Haru have homework that needs to be done?" The digression was purposeful, reminding the two that they couldn't stay long and hopefully ending their visit quickly.

"Mm... a little... do you want to help us?" Momiji beamed and pulled on Yuki's hand, his method of persuasion leaning towards the 'I'm too cute to refuse' theory.

Yuki had long since become impervious to this approach and shook the rabbit off gently. "Haru understands, he will help you. I'm going to stay here with Hatori and Kyo. Why don't you go home and do your homework for tomorrow? Hm? It's very boring here anyway."

Kyo wanted to retort drily. Anywhere with the damn rat was boring. He was ten of the most boring people Kyo knew. Yuki was just trying to maneuver the Rabbit and Cow out of his hair so he could go back to mumbling with Hatori on the other side of the room.

The cat had always enjoyed sleeping. Of course, this orange cat enjoyed sleeping at the most inopportune moments, like when there were visitors there to see him specifically. If he played dead long enough, everyone would finally leave his bed side and he would be free to make a run for the nearest exit. Having lain in the same spot for around an hour though was just beginning to bother his nerves. A small sharp stabbing pain was in his lower back, causing him to shift every once in a while and hope the oblivious ones chocked it up to dreams and nerves acting up. The sport in this was becoming more and more amusing as the time went on though

For the first time in Kyo's life, he felt like he was worth something. Just hearing the strain and stress in Hatori's voice made him smile. It was his first spot light, his first center of attention from the kind doctor. That kind doctor who was ever present in the aid of the dear sick cousin Yuki Sohma. There had been so many times when Hatori had gained that extra hint of emotional strain in his voice, but this was Kyo's first time for ever being the reason for worry. No one ever worried for the welfare of the cat. He was, after all, the cat.

"Good-bye, Haa-san. Good-bye Yuki-kun. Maybe we can stop by again tomorrow?"

"We're going to park tomorrow." Haru muttered to the blonde boy. "Kami you have a short memory."

Hatori chuckled softly, "Why do you think he has you, Hatsuharu? Go on. I'll drive you both home if you meet me out at the car in five minutes. Akito wants me back home. He thinks he has blood poisoning from the cat." His voice was unusually emotionless, no sarcasm, nor serious hint in either direction.

"We'll be there." Haru assured him, throwing Yuki one last curious glance. "Staying the night again?"

"Mm-hm. Just in case." Yuki nodded, an attempt of a caring smile on his face only proved to be a hollow shell.

Haru frowned, but followed Momiji out in silence. Hatori looked over the rim of his glasses and at the paranoid boy he saw before him. "Yuki... if Akito had wanted to finish him, he would have done it when he had the chance. It's not likely that he'll be back to do it now." he reasoned, trying to sound compassionate even with the bland criticism he was issuing.

Yuki only returned with another fragmented cover smile, "Of course, Hatori. But not even you can't predict what he'll do. So when he does come. I'll be here." He pressed firmly, trying to disclose the issue permanently.

Hatori simmered, removing his glasses and tucking them neatly into his front shirt pocket. "You'd protect Kyo while facing almost certain death?" he posed curtly.

Yuki raised a graceful eyebrow, his grey eyes focusing on the very essence of Hatori's mind. "Wouldn't you?"

Two pairs of ocean-deep eyes stared at one another in a silent mind battle, one winning out over the other. "Alright, Yuki. Don't over-do yourself. I'll bring you your school work tomorrow morning." he murmured. "Until then, have fun chasing your ghosts." His light smirk betrayed the proud feeling in his heart. Yuki always had been the only sane on in the family.

Kyo's mind was floating around in a surprised shock, his jaw slacking and his eyes wanting to flutter open so badly just to look at his cousin's face. Weaving itself into his mind was the full comprehension of what the rat prince, his long time arch rival, had just admitted to. _Protect Kyo while facing almost certain death?_ It should have been deemed impossible, if not completely improbable. What in Yuki's heart would ever convince him to risk life and limb to protect the vile cat? The untouchable monster? Kyo's uncertainty lead him to the decision of staying in his faux coma for a little bit longer, too unnerved at the moment to reveal that he had woken from his deep sleep an hour ago.

Yuki watched the door close with a final _click_, and then he was alone again. He liked it better that way. Heaving a sigh, he swivelled his chair to face Kyo's bed. "They can't honestly believe that I'm here to protect you." he muttered, leaning forward against the railing on the side of the bed. His body was tired from being inactive for the past two weeks, but his mind was still lost in a swamp of uncertainties and confusion.

While restless eyes traveled the expanse of Kyo's battered face, idle hands began creeping up towards the stiff figure. Yuki massaged in his mind the thought of doing something about oil that had collected on Kyo's youthful face, finally getting up from the chair and walking over to a sink. He reasoned with the reproachful part of himself that he had nothing better to do than wash Kyo's face and apply more bruise-creme to the still roughed up and exposed parts of the cat.

Kyo's heart did a triple beat in surprise as a warm rag began rubbing his cheek, soapy bubbles that hinted of pear slipped across his face, but never up to his forehead. Yuki went so far as to wash behind Kyo's ears, something Kyo himself rarely did in the first place. A rinse off rag went back over all the touched areas, wiping the soap bubbles clean and leaving Kyo feeling unusually refreshed. He would never admit the fact to anyone, but he thoroughly enjoyed being cleaned by someone else. He hadn't felt that sensation in a long time, memories of his mother proving just how long ago his last aided bath had been.

Yuki soaked his wet rag with more soap and water, then came back to the bed. Without a second thought he yanked back the sheets that rested over Kyo's mangled body. The hospital gown flapped, then settled back around Kyo's relatively lankly body. Yuki opened the front of Kyo's gown and squeezed out all the soap and water he could onto Kyo's chest, making the whole body on the receiving end jolt in surprise. Yuki watched a moment to see if Kyo was going to do anything else, then went back to the sink to get more soap and water.

Bright red flashing lights in Kyo's mind gave him the urge to jump up and bolt, but his will to keep this disguise prevailed. He lay as still as possible and fought his bodily urges as Yuki began massaging the pear soap all over Kyo's exposed body parts. This gave Kyo a sense of tingling as his nerves awoke from a deep slumber. He could sense where the odd itchy feelings were coming from, now. Around his ribs was a tightly pulled bandage, holding together the broken and bruised cage which had so far protected his heart from the Sohma wrath. Down further, he suddenly became aware that the entirety of his hips and left leg were in a cast, starting at his stomach. He had not been aware of the severity of his condition until that moment, when the feeling of his broken skull, broken hip bone, broken leg, and broken ribs suddenly hit him full force.

Damn Yuki and his stupid sponge bath!


	6. Method to Madness

Whew… sorry about the long wait. Had some technical problems with my laptop screen going out. So ah, everything was trapped on my laptop for a while. So sorry!

-Aia

* * *

Chapter 6: Method to Madness 

Even breathing from within. Soft whispers outside the walls. Light footsteps down the hallway. All was dark and quiet in the room.

Kyo shifted, finally sure of Yuki's deft sleeping. He moved, twisting, grunting, groaning at the pain which shot through his aching bones. Oh, to move again! It had been so long that he felt exhausted from the effort of rolling to his side. Sweet, sweet aching pain.

It took only but a wrong twist, though, to throttle the wonderful feeling. Kyo yelped, hand shooting down to grab his hip in pain and surprise. A second wave of fear washed over him as Yuki's breathing stopped, the blurry dark shadow of a boy sitting up. "Kyo?" he murmured lightly, slipping from the hospital bed and walking across the cold tiles with bare feet.

Kyo distinctly heard each soft footstep, even if the Prince tried hard to conceal them. He stayed frozen on his back, tears of apprehension drifting down his cheeks and his face heating up with a sudden hot flash. The moonlight had not been considerably bright until Yuki leaned down in the beams, hair lighting up to match the grey tone sparkle from the night. Kyo snapped his eyes shut quickly, letting his jaw remain slacked as it had been from his yell. He could not afford any more obvious movements.

"Kyo...?" Yuki whispered again, this time closer and directly above the damaged cat.

With concentration at it's highest, Kyo managed to obtain a completely serene feeling over his body, calming his wired nerves and convincing his mental alarms that his situation was not as precarious as it seemed. Yes, he could definitely skate through this.

Before his mental assurances could continue, a foreign sensation suddenly danced along Kyo's partially numb mouth. Physical tingling warmth left a moist impression against his lips making his breath stop in his throat. The simple recognition of another mouth pressuring against his pranced across his dumbfounded mind. What a wonderful feeling this was! Soft warm lips caressing his, no hostile intentions involved like those of Kagura, no mock teasing from any one of his cousins. A loving, sweet electrifying kiss.

"Hmh..." Kyo blurted into the mouth when the truth was suddenly dashed over him like cold water. He was kissing _Yuki!_

His mouth became rigid, Yuki pulling back quickly and wondering if he had stopped Kyo's air flow. The body beneath his fingertips though had frozen still and tense as if just having been stabbed in the gut.

"Hm... goodnight, Kyo-kun. I'll see you in the morning." Yuki wiped his mouth thoughtfully, watching through deep pools of mixed emotions and hazy thoughts. "It's a good thing you're unconscious or I'd have no tongue." he finished decidedly, sliding into the cool sheets of his own bed and pulling the thin blankets over his shoulder.

Kyo didn't relax at all for the entirety of his sentient hours the rest of the night. His body had grown so tired from being frozen in place that it forced sleep upon itself to be rid of the shock induced nonresilient state.

* * *

Eh-heh… sorry if that was short, but it had lots of content! Maybe… ;.; Kinda. Anyway, more to come when I drag my sorry butt to it. 

Thanks to all of those who comment! You know who you are. XD I reply to anyone that has the reply button on there... I guess you have to have an account or something? I never really extend myself to figure these things out.

-Aia


	7. Madness to Mayhem

I could have SWORN I updated this a long time ago. I'm sorry. I'm such a loser. I'll post two chapters because I feel bad. I could have sworn I put ch.7 up so long ago.

* * *

Chapter 7: Madness to Mayhem

* * *

The feeling of having rested anxiously and without actual relaxation was the feeling Kyo awoke to. It was later in the morning, quiet yet sunny enough to be far into the day already. A sense of turmoil filled Kyo's chest as his mind immediately returned to the incident of the night before. His throat constricted, causing a lapse in his breathing to bring him to a cough.

The coughing subsided, Kyo's body shaking by trying to remain as still as possible and listen. Peeking one eye open he established that he lay alone in the hospital room.

"Uuugh..." he rolled and tossed and turned, free with his floppy motions and aching with pain. It was a good pain though, moving all his limbs again finally. Sharp inhales of breath marked his breaks and bruises twisting, but he enjoyed it none the less.

With only a few seconds warning, the door swung open, two voices conferring on the remnants of brain damage on a car accident victim. The voices seemed perplexed for a moment, one doctor chuckling and turning back around. "Next room. This is a domestic abuse boy I think."

"That's horrible."

"I know, he came in real bad, but his cousin has been here watching over him for the past couple weeks. So, he's got a good home to go back to I think."

"Hm. Anyway. What were you saying?"

"Oh... the cranial..." The voices and the footsteps faded away, Kyo exhaling finally. Why he had been holding his breath was a compelling question, but decided to try not to do that anymore. It was a tell tale sign that he was functioning again. Not that it mattered, he was going to run as soon as blood had returned to his legs. He kicked and wiggled a bit more.

"Mmm... he's fussy today it looks like." Yuki's voice lulled from the doorway.

Kyo froze. He had not heard the door open, hadn't sensed the presence at all.

"That was odd." Haru mused. "Does he do it a lot?"

"When he dreams vividly." the Rat Prince and his young cousin came to stand at the bed side again.

"I still don't understand why you're here." Haru leaned against the bed nonchalantly, elbow jabbing Kyo in the ribs to make him jolt sideways in surprise.

"Be careful Haru, he's got seven broken ribs." Yuki scolded, pulling the lanky boy's wrist to remove the elbow.

"Whatever. Come on. Tell me. You won't tell anyone else. I'm trustworthy, aren't I?" he traced a finger down Yuki's cheek languidly, smiling with a lazy air about him.

Yuki ignored the attempts of seducing completely, snorting in amusement. "Trustworthy? That's arguable. But you're persistent I suppose. No big deal really. It's not some big secret. I'm here because I want to be here when he wakes up. I want to ask him how he did it."

"How he got his ass kicked?"

Haru was rewarded with a flat glare, but the gaze softened as he finished with a true answer. "No. I want to ask him how he broke from Akito's mind control. How he was able to fight him. He didn't back down after Akito hit him. Once Akito hits us, we always stop. We concede. We do what he says. We apologize. Kyo hit him back. He's the first one to break it. I want to be the second." Yuki glared at Haru. "It would be in your best interest to do the same."

Haru smiked, leaning forward to nuzzle the top of Yuki's forehead. "Has nothing to do with the fact you cried over his dead body on the drive to the hospital? And the kiss?"

Yuki's eyes flashed daggers. "I thought he was dead. I dislike the cat, I don't hate him enough to want him dead." he hissed.

"Hatori said you were fairly intimate with him. You even held his hand when he started choking on his blood and calling for help." Haru smiled, presenting his argument with little hostility and a general amusement to his prodding.

Yuki looked forward to the cat. "You weren't there, Haru. You didn't see him. He looked horrible."

"When doesn't he?" Haru grinned just before undertaking a quick short punch to the chest. He doubled forward, the grin still plastered to his face. "I deserved that."

"Of course you did. It's rude to say such things about the ill." Yuki murmured, if perturbed only showing it minimally.

Haru chuckled, "Whatever, Yuki-kun. I'm going back to school before anyone notices I was gone. - And he's not ill, he's beat up. There's a difference." he nudged Yuki gently as he went past. "Haa-san said he's bringing you dinner tonight."

Yuki glanced over his shoulder, considering his words carefully. "Can you have him bring a meal for two? I'd like to keep some for tomorrow night. That way I can save Torhu the trouble of having to drop it off for me."

Haru saluted lazily, "Sure. See ya, Yuki-kun."

"Bye, Haru. Thank you for lunch."

"Yup." he smiled warmly before the door swung shut behind him. On his way down the hall, Haru couldn't help a snicker. "Rat honestly thinks his fooling us? Love-sick puppy." he snorted, eyeing a cute short nurse as he went by, then eyeing a young patient of the opposite gender as he walked behind the nurse. "Hm. Hospital isn't a bad place to hang around."


	8. Water Water Everywhere

As promised, two chapters. Sorry if it completely overwhelms anyone; me posting two chapters and all. (drrripping with sarcasm)

* * *

Chapter 8: Water, Water Everywhere, (but not a drop to drink)

* * *

A soft thump, Kyo's heart rising to his throat. Yuki was up again. He had gotten up four times already. It was pitch black out, sometime in the middle of the night, and damn rat was apparently restless. It was annoying for Kyo when Yuki wouldn't sleep. He couldn't move or shift, and the nights had become his only time to get up and move. Last night he had even dared sitting up and stretching, though his hip had buckled so fast that he had dropped back onto the bed and clutched at the pain. Having never experienced a broken hip before, he wasn't sure on how to move around the hurt.

Yuki was coughing, growling after each coughing fit and getting a glass of water. Hatori had warned him that the dinner he'd brought was spicy, but the after effect was ridiculous. He did not want to spend his entire night up trying to get rid of the itching burn in his throat.

"Hm." A chair skittered across the floor and beside Kyo's bed, Yuki plopping down to a glass of water and sipping idly. "Hatori's a jerk, giving me spicy food like that." He coughed , taking another sip of water loudly.

He smiled lightly though and leaned forward across Kyo, elbows resting on the side of the bed. He poured a small bit of water directly into the center of Kyo's forehead.

Indignation sprang up in Kyo's throat, making a small noise while his whole body tensed. Yuki smiled, amused at the reaction. "Cats and water… how they dislike each other." He whispered, setting the glass down and leaning forward, finger dipping into the puddle he had made above the faux coma patient's brow. He tapped at the puddle, making it splash, then his finger began drawing designs across the expanse of forehead, then spreading even further to run down the side of his face and to his chin.

Kyo's insides were shaking with a mix of emotions. Ire, surprise, resentment, and something else he couldn't place. The dancing finger did not seem to be pissing him off as much as it was relaxing his facial muscles, which he needed to do more of if he were ever to wipe that permanent scowl from his face.

Yuki was smiling brightly at this newfound game, dipping his finger into the puddle again and tracing another line down the other side of the pallid face. He made designs here and there with the water, each shape glittering in the moonlight when juxtaposed with the flat matte skin. He was enjoying himself far to much at Kyo's expense, but he was dwelling in the fact that the cat would not lash out.

"Kyo, kyo, kyo… you would look pretty with your face painted." He whispered, dipping his finger into the glass, then wetting the feline's lips as if painting them with a brush. The lips parted slightly beneath his gentle pressing fingers, so he painted the water in further, running along the inside to feel the smooth pre-moistened part of the lower lip. But that was going to far, now wasn't it?

He pulled back, sitting up and sighing heartily. "It's late. I can't sleep. What to do… in a sleeping hospital, with a coma patient as my only companion?" he put away the whole cup of water, still trying to quench the tickle in his throat.

Kyo's mind was reeling, but his face felt refreshed by the sweet touches, the dancing fingers, the admittance from the rat that he did not hate the cat as much as the cat wanted to believe. There was a gentle lull in the room as Yuki began humming softly. He was moving about the room, organizing what mess that there was to organize. After a while he grew impatient with that activity and began playing with a stand up skeleton in the corner of the room. Every once in a while he would chuckle to himself, Kyo only being about to resist the urge to open his eyes for so long. He caught a short glimpse of Yuki and the skeleton, the fake impression of a man's support system didn't look all to frightening anymore now that it was clad in a nurse's outfit and wearing a bedpan on its skull.

Finally, after this newfound activity, too, grew unamusing, Yuki prepared himself for bed for the third time that night. "I think I can sleep now." He walked over to the cat, a glass of water in his hands once again. He wetted his finger, swiping it across Kyo's face to draw overly large whiskers on the red head, smiling, and leaning down to plant a soft kiss on the moist lips. "Goodnight, baka neko." He slipped back into his own bed, placing the cup of water beside him on the stand safely. "See you in the morning."

Kyo's eyes were wide. He was fully awake now. And he had the irresistible urge for more water.

* * *

I'm getting there everyone, I haven't forgotten my Yuki and Kyo muses. I will ask Kakashi and Iruka to make more room for them in the muse boxes on my shoulders. XD 

-Aia


	9. Premonition of a Breakthrough

Whew, I'm trudgin' along on this, slowly but surely.

* * *

Chapter 9: Presentation of a Breakthrough

* * *

He couldn't stand it any longer; Kyo was becoming increasingly agitated. The hair on the back of his neck was beginning to stand and his adrenaline was coursing through eager veins, wanting fulfillment. The small unavoidable fidgets were useless, when what he wanted to do was just up and _move_. There was an exasperation, followed by betrayal in his mood; _he had not gotten his goodnight kiss._ Without his goodnight kiss, he could not be satisfied.

His last four kisses had been consecutive, and each one more pleasant. He longed, all day, for the sun to fall and the moon to rise over the bleak window sill. When the moon was high enough for him to see, that signified it was time for bed, and time for Yuki's lulling conversation, which always ended with a sweet kiss.

Tonight, Yuki had gone straight to bed, his mood for some reason unusually stale with disdain. The afternoon has left Kyo alone in his small, white, self-inflicted prison. It had given him a chance to get up and move around for the first time in a week. Of course, the mind could not help but feel hurt that Yuki had left him. He hadn't left his side for more than an hour since he'd woken up from his ass-kicked coma.

That afternoon, Yuki was away for three hours, and the cantankerous mood had started upon, or most likely before, re-entry of the hospital room. The most logically sound explanation was that Yuki's little lunch break had been a turbulent one.

Of course, that was no reason to have Kyo's goodnight kiss snatched away from him.

Experimentally, Kyo made a soft popping noise by parting his lips a few times. After this received no reaction, he shifted as if having a nightmare and thudded against the metal bars that caged him into the bed to kept him from a painful fall. The thudding did gain him attention, but not his desired effect.

"Kyoo…. sleep peacefully…. Tomorrow… will not be a good day for either of us." Yuki whispered from his bed, rolling over and pulling the cold sheets up to his chin.

The cat froze, surprised, and stopped his shifting and popping noises. Well. If Yuki was going to be like that, he didn't want a goodnight kiss.

Though, he couldn't help but wonder, _what was going to be wrong with tomorrow_?

o0O0o

The morning light was so hot that Kyo's face felt burned, making him flop his head sideways. He groaned at feeling the heat that had woken him up, magnified through the window.

"Did he just open his eyes?" A dark voice hissed angrily.

"No." the calm collected Rat Prince answered coldly. "He has nightmares. He fights in his sleep." He responded casually, the dripping venom apparent in even the unthreatening commentary.

"I thought I'd finished the sorry bastard off." Akito shifted in a large padded chair while four of the cursed Sohmas stood around him and listened obediently.

"Then you would have to deal with one maybe even worse that Kyo-kun, Akito-san. You wouldn't like that, now would you?" Shigure offered kindly, a small hopeful smile making Akito give him a disgusted look.

"Don't patronize me." He spat, hand whipping out to knock the wind from Shigure's chest.

"Terribly sorry." Shigure coughed out, stepping away from immediate danger to partially hide behind Yuki.

"How is he recovering?" Akito, heaving a tension-relieving sigh, stretched out and took Ren's hand, kissing along pale fingers.

Hatori cleared his throat and stepped forward boldly. "He's healing nicely on the outside, but the breaks won't heal for quite a while. His coma is still in effect, and cannot be determined when he will awaken. Could be weeks, could be years-"

"Yes, yes, I know all that." Akito hissed, glaring up at Hatori.

"My, my." A wicked smirk crossed Yuki's face. "You sure have been disgruntled lately, Akito-san. Did your little jaunt with the lousy cat irk you _that_ much?"

This time, Akito's attack was fast and invisible. Yuki's head twisted sideways from the blowing backhand, the sound of skin meeting skin echoing and reverberating from the sanitary walls. Shigure took Yuki's shoulders, trying to pull him back a step. The pallid boy only jerked out of his grasp. "Let go of me, I've been hit worse than that. I don't care what he does to me."

Akito slipped from the chair, smooth and fast, slithering into Yuki's face till their noses almost touched. "Is that a challenge, _Rat?_" his hand snapped out, thrusting Yuki's head back violently, then slowly, agonizingly hard, dragged the hand back and over Yuki's head to turn the boy's neat hair into a chaos of knots.

"We're in a public place, Akito-san." Ren reminded gently. "You have been out a long time already. Don't you think it is time to head back to the main house?"

The demon's laughter that welled from his stomach seeped out between smiling clenched teeth. "_Ren_…_darling…_be a good little boy and get my coat for me. I'm tired of being in the same room as sick people…. I hate sick people…" he let go of Yuki's head and tottered backwards a bit, giggling maniacally while staring at the pale boy. "You and I… shall talk later." He blew a poison kiss from the palm of his hand, Yuki in his right mind considering to dodge the air affections.

Akito had turned though, Ren slipping on the demon boy's coat before leading him out the door.

It clicked shut, Kyo's entire body jolting at the sound.

Hatori reached out, examining Yuki's head. "That was brave of you. Stupid, but brave." He whispered, fixing Yuki's hair brotherly before folding his hands in front of him. "You shouldn't taunt him when he's like this. Ever since that fight with Kyo, he's been beating up on everyone. Haru yesterday, Ren the day before, and Momiji the day before that. He's dangerous. Kyo's awoken something in him. He knows that there's a slip in his powers when one of us rebels. It's amazing his hasn't killed Kyo yet."

Yuki tossed his hair out of his eyes with a quick flick of his head. "He won't. Not with me here. He won't do it with anyone else around to witness it. Besides. He may be able to beat Kyo, but if Kyo wakes up… he'll have to fight both of us. And he can't win two against one."

Shigure huffed dryly. "Yes he can. Don't be stupid, Yuki. He's too strong. Even if we all rebelled against him, we'd fail. He's got a power over us that we can't control." The dog muttered angrily, his kimono silk shuffling a he rubbed his pained gut.

Yuki glared softly. "No. It's all in our heads. Kyo did it. His temper let him bypass the mental restraint Akito has put on us. He was too angry to bow down and kiss the demon's feet. We can do the same thing, you know. I know we can. He's living proof." He stared at the motionless body, baked in the morning sun and glowing with an ethereal life about him.

"Actually. He almost died. I think we'd be safe with a different approach honestly." Shigure shared a quick glance with Hatori. "But enough of this. I have to go make sure Honda-san isn't lonely when she gets home from school." He grinned his hint.

"Lecher." Yuki murmured emotionlessly, his arms dropping to his sides as he walked over to sit on the stool beside Kyo's bed. "Go home. Don't touch her, pervert." He leaned against the bed railing and closed his eyes. "I didn't get any sleep last night. I'm going to catch up."

Hatori chuckled lightly, ignoring Shigure's babbling from outside the door. "Yuki… be careful… what you get yourself into. In more ways than one. Akito doesn't like losing his favorite possessions."

Yuki's cold eyes paralleled his words. "Than it's a good thing I'm no longer his possession, isn't it?"

A soft chuckle only emitted from the tall dark man once again. "Whatever you say… Prince Charming." He closed the door with a soft click, then brushed shoulders with a sulking Shigure. "Come on. We better check up on the Akito's wake of destruction."

"You have fun with that. I wasn't kidding about meeting Torhu at home." He smirked wolfishly.

* * *

Bah. At least it was a chapter. I keep asking myself, when is this going to get interesting? And I give myself the silent treatment.

-Aia


	10. Family Bonds

Gasp! It's longer than two pages! It's… it's… five pages!

Chapter 10: Family Bonds (are nonexistent)

Kyo stared upwards, thoughts debating over his current predicament with the ease and grace of a claustrophobic rhinoceros in an elevator. Someone, _someone he didn't know_, was stripping him _naked._ Though he'd never taken blood pressure medicine in his life, he felt that this situation dictated some type of medicinal substance for his rising heart rate. He choked softly when the gown was opened to reveal his full frontal portrait.

"Ah, maybe you should skip that today, Nurse, we're expecting visitors any minute now."

His Highness the Saving Grace had just saved Kyo from his cover-blowing temper tantrum that had been slowly bubbling to a boil.

"Oh, alright. I can make a note for the night shift to do it then." She pursed her lips and tossed the unused rag onto her cart, containing a water basin, soaps, and foreign objects that looked threateningly personal.

"Thank you." His chair scraped as he padded over to aid her out of the room with the cart. An echoing click indicated the third presence was gone, and their seclusion was absolute. Yuki chuckled softly and walked back over to Kyo, straightening the gown. "Kyo." He leaned down, arms crossing and resting on the retaining bar. "Kyo-kun, today… we rally. And you… are going to the leader." He reached out and brushed stray crimson hair away. "If you can fight him and live… so can the rest of us." A red spark seemed to ignite behind the grey eyes that regarded his fallen comrade. Kyo's crimson rage was spreading.

o0O0o

"Yuki! I'm going to miss my favorite anime!" the boy gripped the edge of his chair, "When can we start the meeting?" he insisted, adorning the Momiji offensive attack of pitiful eyes and pouting lips.

Yuki, impervious, only glanced sideways at the boy, "When Haru gets his lazy butt here, we can start." He murmured tersely, eyes suddenly snapping to Rin. "Do you know where he is?"

She shook her head solemnly, looking generally upset about existing at that moment. Her dark stringy hair shifted to settle over her shoulders as she crossed her arms and fixed her eyes upon the sleeping cat, with whom she'd rarely ever seen in her entire life. She was not sad about that fact, nor was she any more perturbed about his rank on Akito's hate chain. Her only opinion was the satisfaction that she was not the one cursed with the cat's blood.

"I'm sorry I don't know where Haru is! I'm such a failure, not even knowing where my own family members are. I'M SO SORRY!" Ritsu wailed, covering his horrified face.

Several looks glanced in his direction, but returned to the door when it swung open with a fierce slam. "I could hear you from outside Ritsu, maybe you should tone it down a bit." Haru offered flatly, closing the door behind him.

"A bit?" Hiro scoffed, his feet dangling from the edge of his chair as he glared at the floor.

The monkey cursed Sohma's eyes welled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry, I'm such nuisance-!"

"Alright then, we're all here." Yuki's voice, although casual, held a leading undertone that demanded attention. The group fell silent. "I've called you here today, and asked you to avoid Shigure and Hatori because-"

The door burst open loudly, bashing against the counter behind it. Had anyone been watching the other side of the room, they would have watched a dead silent Kyo jump in complete surprise, but quickly compose himself.

"Not to fear, little brother! I am here to aid you in leading this bunch of no-good wannabes into battle!"

"I'm SO SORRY THAT I'M NOT ANY GOOD!"

"Aha! Hello Ritsu-san!" Ayame's bright glow of sunshine seemed to follow him in as he strolled towards the others.

Yuki grimaced and stood up stoically, striding towards the door to close it behind Ayame's reckless path. "How did you know we were meeting?" Yuki muttered upon passing his brother.

"Oh! A little bird told me!" Ayame beamed, taking Yuki's face by the cheeks and twisting playfully.

"I'M SO SORRY I TOLD HIM! I THOUGHT HE WAS PART OF THIS-!"

"It's alright. He could be of some use." Yuki sat down stiffly and faced the ever growing group. "Alright.- What is it, Kagura?" he huffed at the hand she raised above her head, requesting a turn to speak before the meeting had even begun.

"I motion that we take Kyo back to Shigure's house. He looks so… pitiful… and sad…" she chewed at her nails while casting fawning eyes at her lover.

Tight white lips from the Rat Prince returned her motion. "Kagura. That's not why we're here. Now will you all just hush? Please?" Steely eyes met anyone who dare to look at him defiantly. "Alright. I called you all here for a specific reason." He hissed tersely, achieving the stout attention he had been waiting for. "Since none of you seem to have made the connection, I'm going to point it out to you." He paused, the dramatic effect causing a few to lean in apprehensively. "Kyo has beaten Akito."

A deadly silence fell over the group of mismatched family members. A short giggle from Ayame had a sharp gaze befall his innocence. "Yu-Yuki. I beg to differ. I think that we'd all agree-"

Yuki hissed at his brother, gripping the edge of his long grey shirt. "Not _physically _you moron." He turned his shoulders stiffly, pointing discretely at the ignored red head. "Mentally. None of you were there. I was. You should have seen it." At this, his eyes lit up with the very light that usually tinted Kyo's eyes when in the height of his passions. "It was what we've all dreamed about. He threw Akito off his guard, scared him, threatened him!" A few opened their mouths I protest, but were cut off. "Don't any of you try and tell me that you've never wanted to yell back, or hit him, or walk away from him when he was speaking to you. You all have felt that at one time or another, and none of you have ever had the guts."

Haru scoffed and shot his gaze to the side at nothing. "Don't be so _modest_, Yuki-kun."

Yuki's jaw clenched as he spoke, "That's why I'm taking the step that none of _you_ are willing to take. I didn't stand up to him in the past, but I am now. I'm willing to organize this, if you're willing to fight. Kyo did it, so can we. He was just one person, and look what he did. You've seen Akito's bad mood? His nasty demeanor for the past weeks. Kyo did that. He's knocked _our Lord_ from his high and mighty throne. Kyo has stepped off the alter, he's fighting for all he's worth. You should have seen it!" he stood up and walked over to the cat, grabbing one limp arm and raising it. "He nearly got himself killed, but he's proved it. We're stronger than Akito. If we all work together, we can take him out! We have to be _angry _with him for once!"

A sharp skittering of chairs and Haru stood up. "Kisa, Hiro, you two shouldn't be here." He murmured darkly.

Yuki's arm snapped out. "No! They're a part of my plan. They're our messengers. Akito doesn't watch the kids. He doesn't care about the kids and would rather never see them in his life. He will avoid them if they're in the main house, and ignore when they are absent. We can't keep in contact or-"

"Yuki, you're insane." Rin's dark eyes raised to meet his challengingly. "We could never win against him. He's the head of the family for a reason you know." She stood solemnly, pulling her chair back and stepping from the ring of Sohmas.

Haru smirked, tossing his snow white hair aside and letting one piercing grey eye penetrate her layer of solitude. "You're just scared. And for yourself no less. You've always been selfish, Rin, I don't know why Yuki-kun even invited such a heartless girl like you. You'll probably run off and tell Akito as it is." He tilted his head up, looking down his nose to her. "Selfish moody brat." He murmured, a privileged smirk over his lips. "I'm all for it." He looked to the rest of the group. "If Kyo can get a claw under his skin, I think if we all turned on him at once… we could pull this off." He stood up, a brazen, if not maniacal, grin plastered to his face. "Kyo's alive. And he's only one. We have the best chances there are! Eight against one!" his enthusiastic appearance turned to Yuki and the comatose cat. "Eight against one." He repeated, "I believe in it, Yuki."

A grateful smile turned his way. "Thank you, Haru, but I don't believe it will be so easy in persuading all of them." He eyed the group. "I brought you here… to present my plan to you. I don't want you to decide today, or even tomorrow. Think on it for as long as you want, and tell me your answer when you are ready. If you can, send Hiro and Kisa. They're the least suspicious."

A short grunt from the blonde boy earned their attention. "Who says we're agreeing to being your stupid little carrier pigeons? Just because we kids doesn't mean you can order us around." He snapped, grabbing Kisa's hand.

She shot a surprised gaze at him. "But… but Akito hit Torhu…" she murmured, pulling her stuffed tiger closer to her mouth as if to muffle the fact she was talking.

Hiro's jaw opened as if to speak, but promptly closed. "Only because he hit Torhu then. We'll only do it because of that." He spat at Yuki, who smiled to him warmly.

"What about, when he hurt Kisa?"

The group could almost see the little boy jolt. "And… And… because he hurt Kisa. I'll…. I wanna help you." His eyes downcast to his scuffed knees, still caked in the dirt that he had obliged to play in with Kisa.

Yuki nodded, "You will be the most help of all, I'm sure."

"I wanna help, too!" Momiji thrust both arms into the air, volunteering himself twice the amount possible. "He is so mean to Torhu! And to us! And he _touches_ me in weird places!"

Odd glances circled the group, and the subject was dismissed just as quickly as it had been mentioned. "Alright, Haru, Momiji, Kisa, Hiro… Anyone else?" Yuki returned, sitting down serenely, hands moving to his knees to rest daintily.

"Meeee!" Ayame waved his hand in the air happily, the other hand holding a paint brush which he chewed on mercilessly. "This is so _exciting!_"

A shaky hand raised from the edge of the group. "Ritsu?" Yuki permitted kindly.

"I…I'm… I don't know… what I should do." He whispered, torn between those of his family who were willing, and those who weren't.

Rin snorted, a few questioning eyes turning to her. "Still here, are you?" Haru mocked with a returning triumphant smirk.

"Not for you, you coward. I'm surprised you of all people agreed to this. You're Akito's little maid almost as much as Ren."

Haru didn't bait to the taunting, "All in preparation my dear, who else is close enough to slit his throat in his sleep?"

"You don't have the balls, cowboy."

Yuki cleared his throat, effectively silencing the growing quarrel. "Rin, I believe you wanted to say something to Ritsu?" he pressed the question firmly.

"I had a suggestion. Since he's worthless to us in battle, we can use his Onsen as our meeting place. He knows the Onsen inside and out, he can be our alert if Akito has any spies there."

"Our?" Kagura snapped, temper like gasoline to a fire. "One minute you mock Yuki, the next your on his team?"

"I don't see you offering your services." Rin answered coolly, a venomous bite to her words.

From the corner Ayame raised a hand and scratched at the air, "Raaar!" He imitated a cat fight playfully, only producing simultaneous death glares in his direction. "Aha… just kidding, ladies!"

Yuki exhaled a slow and calming sigh. Haru put a thoughtful finger to his lips and cocked his head. "Now I remember… why this family doesn't get together unless it's a holiday…"

"You're right. Let's get this over with. Kagura? Rin? Can I assumed that you are both in, then?"

Fixated on each other for the time being, they only nodded stonily.

"Good. Ritsu? Have you made your choice?"

He hesitated, then nodded firmly. "I hope that my onsen can be of wonderful use to you! BUT IT'S MY FAULT IF IT IS HORRIBLE! WHAT IF IT DOESN'T FIT YOUR NEEEEEDS!"

"Urya!" Ayame jabbed sharply at Ritsu's side, the loud Sohma sunk to the floor in a puddle.

"Ah… alright then. My plan." Yuki settled into the chair firmly, hands cupping his knee caps, and shoulders staunch.

The eight additional Sohma's listened in relative silence, save for the abrupt confusion of the youngest ones, who promptly raised their hands. Yuki was pleased with the immediate results and reactions he'd received from his family; those he once considered annoying and unbearable were now his allies and to be tolerated after all.

o0O0o

Yuki heaved a sigh as the last family member closed the door behind him. Flopping into his newly adopted rolling chair, the Rat Prince rolled his way over to Kyo's bed side, smiling faintly with this newfound hope. "Kyo-kun. You're an inspiration, no matter how dumb and brash you are." He planted a sweet kiss on the pink cheek, slightly stubbly, but gratifying none the less. In his sleep, Kyo shifted towards Yuki's lips a bit, head lulling to face him. He chuckled and brushed the stray bang from his cousin's forehead to gaze at him longer. "Silly cat. You may just lead this family to victory after all."

I _promise_ that Kyo will 'wake up' soon, I promise! (I'M SOOOO SORRY HE'S NOT AWAKE! I'M SOOOORRRRRYYYY!) (bops Ritsu)


	11. Blue

So many people reminding my lazy ass to update. Thank you. (bow) I'm sorry I update this so slowly. Please feel free to drop me a line or kick me once in a while, it really does work.

* * *

Chapter 11: Blue

* * *

It was colder than usual today, Kyo noticed sullenly. It wasn't as if he had a lot of clothes on to begin with. A draft wafted over his face, making him shiver involuntarily. Not only was the room cold, it was lonely. 

He cracked an eye lid, then closed it again, shifting experimentally to see if he could discern the sound of clothing from the rest of the room. When he had gained no attention it seemed, he flopped his head sideways and peeked through wispy eyelashes.

Alone and in the cold.

There was something wrong with that thought. It was… no longer appealing. He had, for many years, enjoyed being alone and in the cold while laying on the roof and staring at the inside of his eyelids. It had been his happy place.

Something had changed in the past few weeks. Or had it been months? It felt like months. Never moving, never walking, always sleeping.

A slight grin tainted the cat's lips as he mentally agreed that it was worth the boredom, the aches and pains of never moving… to get his kiss. He liked the kisses. Affectionate and promising. Having had weeks to think about it, he'd gotten over his denial and was eager, always eager, to get his goodnight kiss, and the occasional 'I'm going out for a bit' kiss.

He had probably gotten the second kiss and not known it. He'd been asleep all morning after all. With caution fit for a burglar, he looked over the room completely, checking every corner, the bathroom door, and even beside the bed where he could not see. Finally, he groaned and coughed, sitting up to welcome all the shooting pains.

Almost instantly though, he fell back against the bed silently and shut his eyes, breath hitching as the door opened. He'd almost been _seen_. He _should_ have been seen! The door closed quickly and he could hear the lock click shut.

A quick scuffling of feet and slight panting. "Kyo-!"

Loud thumping on the door and Yuki's voice ghosted what could have been a whimper. A flurry of motions and the door was unlocked and opened. "Yuki, you have to _run._ You have to get out of here!" Haru bit tersely. Kyo could feel the fear, the level of perspiration both Sohma's were shedding.

"I have to get Kyo out. Go, Haru, don't let him see you. He doesn't know you're here!"

"The plan has failed, Yuki! Just run! We can fight him again some other day!" Haru had resigned to pulling on Yuki's arm, trying to drag him to a safety far from their current location.

Yuki's eyes burned red though, teeth clenched. "Haru. _Go._ Get them all. Tell them the plan has changed and the location is here."

"They won't make it in time."

Yuki briefly considered the words, eyes cast down the hallway. "Not if you keep standing here. Go." he slammed the door with a thud against Haru's body, the boy stumbling back in surprise. No sooner had he been smacked in the face was he running down the hallway and to the nearest exit.

"Kyo," His movements were impatient but controlled, hands sliding down and around Kyo's body. Before the comatose patient had a chance to consciously figure out what his cousin was doing, the eerie and painful feeling presented itself. Yuki was pulling out _tubes._ From everywhere. Kyo twitched and grunted, body convulsing and shudders ripping down his spine. A garbled whimper left his lips as one was yanked out from his arm, then tape and plastic fittings ripped out of the same spot. "We have to get out of here, out!" Yuki was mumbling, something he rarely did.

Glass shattering made Kyo jolt, but Yuki had missed the movement. The Rat Prince had instead left the cat's side and was running to the door, foot smashing the hand that was reaching in to unlock the deadbolt.

Yuki's karate-do sensei had always said that fear rises, causing the martial artist to stand tall in their stance instead of low to the ground. Yuki had almost knocked himself backwards from the kick he was standing so tall. The hollow thud of the bleeding hand smashing against wood was gratifying none the less.

A hiss from outside the broken door answered him, and the hand short punched, skimming Yuki's cheek with precision. The door flew open, lock made quick work by skilled fingers.

"Yukiii… it's not like you… to attack your-!"

Though fear had consumed him, Yuki did in some ways trust the fear to save him. A punch cut off Akito's sentence, but never reached his target. It returned with tenfold pain, knocking Yuki off balance just enough for a foot sweep to render his body air born.

The black demon hissed delightedly, lording over him for a moment in victory. "Yuki, Yuki… haven't you learned from Kyo's little experience? You'll only die trying." His right foot snapped out, connecting in a resounding thud to one grey fearful eye.

He sunk to the floor, eyes crossing just before slipping shut. His mouth formed an unintelligible word, tongue never wrapping around syllables though. Yuki's grey locks, usually so pristine, scattered in an array of chaos about the floor.

A lording smirk befit for the devil cast Akito's features beneath a dark shadow. He stepped over the unconscious form of his subject to stand beside the bed and peer down. "Stupid cat. You see what you've started?" The slap he issued was much less painful than it was offensive. Kyo's head lulled to the side, igniting in a red fire as his body flushed in anger.

Akito shifted and turned around, arms crossing as he stared at Yuki thoughtfully. "Damn cat." he murmured again, kicking Yuki's head for good measure. "See what you have done!" he roared to no one, eyes flashing in blue black hate.

"Cat _bit_ your tongue?"

Akito's heart stopped, then escalated to his throat. His head turned but his body never made it around. Kyo had wrapped a long IV tube around Akito's neck, then around it again. Muscles groaned and pains ached more than ever. Kyo felt weak, impossibly weak, but he was driven by emotions; two in particular. Rage filled him faster than it had in a long time. How _dare_ the demon _kick_ Yuki while he was unconscious. Fear was the second emotion. He knew fully well that if the self-proclaimed god were to set himself free from this trap, he would turn and annihilate the weak Sohma cat. There was no more fight left in his body, only his spirit. And spirit was not enough to withstand a death blow.

Kyo planted a foot in the square of Akito's back, pushing, then contracting his arms. His grip was weak, but he had wrapped the tubing around his knuckles to keep it from slipping. Strangled gasps and desperate backward swings kept Akito breathing, kept his eyes wide with shock, surprise, and what Kyo liked to see the most, fear.

The fire returned at seeing that fear. Kyo's lips curled into a sneer. A wave of strength swept through his veins, the IV tube tightening around Akito's neck. There was a choking of blocked airway, a flurry of fists, clothing and chaos, then there was complete silence save for Kyo's panting.

Akito slumped down the side of the bed and was hung up on the railing by the tubing still encircling his neck. The skin beneath the make-shift weapon was swollen and purple, claw marks inflicted by desperate manicured finger nails had scored off a few layers of skin in places.

A heart felt sigh involuntarily left Kyo's body and he slumped sideways, curling up in pain and holding his aching arms. Victory was short lived. Time stood still from atop his bed. On the floor Akito had fallen the rest of the way to the ground, pulling over the IV stand to hit Yuki, who jolted and moaned. Kyo watched with a relieved satisfaction before eyes closed and his energy depleted completely.

Yuki's head throbbed, but he could still hear the soft _wumph_ from above. Spinning on his knees, he gasped at the blue shaded demon god, unconscious and barely breathing. Staggering to his feet, his mind raced at the possibilities, until resting on the red head slumped awkwardly sideways. _Kyo._

_

* * *

o.O -Aia _


	12. Fallen Angel

I got a death threat about this ficlet. So I decided to finish this chapter and post it. Does that make me a wuss? Like one of those pathetic pawn shop owners that does everything the mafia tells them too and always gets grilled by the cops for being bad, but in reality is just a loser wuss that has no point? Or have I just been watching too many mafia movies lately?

-Aia (pawn shop owner wuss)

* * *

Chapter 12: Fallen Angel

* * *

"Waaaaah! Yuki's dead!"

"Shut up, Momiji, he's fine." Haru growled angrily, planting a hand in the side of the boy's head and shoving him sideways.

"Move, both of you." Ayame's cool and calm voice betrayed his wide eyed fear and thumping heart beat as he pushed into the chaotic room. There were fluids across the floor, dribbling down the bars of the bed, sliding over the skin of Akito's white shoulder, and between Yuki's pale fingers.

"Where's Kyo?" Momiji voiced everyone's haunting question.

Hiro stepped forward, hands on his hips to stare undaunted at the impacting scene before them. "How are we supposed to know?" he snapped, pointing to the tubes. "He used to be hooked up to those, so that means his body has to function by itself now. He'll probably die."

The blonde rabbit beside him looked momentarily horrified, before becoming an entire ball of fear when Akito's body twitched. "Ayeeee! Haruuu!" He latched onto his companion and pointed at demon lord.

"Everyone, get out."

Blood ran could at the voice, but they relieved at the fact it wasn't from Akito. The looming figure in the doorway demanded their exit, the bulk becoming Hatori after stepping into the dim light.

Ayame stared coolly at his long time friend. "Check Yuki first, Hatori."

He grimly shook his head. "I can't do that, Ayame."

Ayame scowled, "Then your no better than Akito." he walked forward to retrieve his younger brother.

As soon as the milky smooth hands touched his pallid arm, Yuki was wide awake. A strangled gasp made its way out of the boy before his eyes darted around the room. "Brother-!"

"Yuki, are you alright?" Ayame had never been so serious, and it was unsettling.

The question hung unanswered between them, for a soft murmur drifted from dark lips at the other end of the bed.

"Momiji, Hiro, lets get back to school. It's not safe here." Haru grasped Hiro's hand commandingly, the boy deciding that now was not the time to try and be part of the grown-ups. He obeyed, watching Momiji bolt for the door and down the hall.

"Schools the other way!" Hiro bellowed angrily at the rabbit.

Momiji looked over his shoulder, "I'm not going! Kyo is missing!"

Yuki's ears caught the last message. "Kyo's-?"

A second murmur escaped Akito, blowing a hush across the room.

"Get out of here while you can." Hatori whispered quietly. "Don't tell anyone where your going, Yuki. Just run." he grabbed Ayame. "You stay."

Ayame pouted fiercely. "Aawaah! Haa-san! I don't want to stay with the smelly brat!"

Yuki pushed himself to weak legs, feeling as if he were standing on a cushiony mattress while trying to walk. Lively eyes darted to Ayame's childish pout and felt relieved slightly. "Stay. He won't know our association this way." Yuki gave the room a quick once over. "Kyo?"

"Gone when we got here. Run." Hatori rushed the boy, watching from the corner of his eye as Akito stirred again.

No more commands were needed. Yuki dashed out the door after the retreating boys, then right past them. Momiji let out a surprised holler, trying to catch up to Yuki.

The boy had gained a sudden strength though, and steady legs to propel him. "I'm alright! You guys look in the park! I'm going to go to the house!"

Haru sighed and stared down at Hiro. "Coming?"

"Might as well. Nothing better to do.

o0O0o

Kyo couldn't _walk_. He hadn't even gotten out of the hospital yet. He could crawl and stumble, but just barely. His body ached, his arms were so sore and weak. A string of expletives erupted from him as a door he'd pushed through came back to slam on his ankle. Today _sucked._

He had to find a way to get from the fifth floor, to the bottom, in less than two minutes. Hatori would be taking Akito out soon. The elevator was a mysterious dream hiding somewhere far off in the building, whereas the window was only a few feet away.

Kyo dragged his half-dead body to the window sill and leaned over, looking down the side of the building. Five stories was very very high. Had he been in the physical shape, there would have been nothing to a decent down the drainage pipe and all the window ledges. In his current state though, he would be asking for instant death if he jumped out the window. That idea was vanquished from his mind immediately. No window jumping for him. Kyo growled in frustration. He had to escape.

Then, horrid scream sent chilling fear through his spine like rain water dripping down a lead pipe. Akito was awake.

o0O0o

Yuki stood outside the hospital, at a loss and feeling a heated worry begin to grow. "Stupid cat." he hissed, staring around the gardens and the parking lot surrounding the hospital. "Stupid, stupid cat."

He didn't know where to start. How he would get there, and even in which direction the bus would be if he were to actually get back to the house. Kyo wouldn't have known either. The house was out of the question. The cat couldn't have gone far.

A flash of orange stood out in the corner of his vision. His eyes were pulled to the side of the hospital building, upwards to the heavens. For a moment in time, life suspended. The world slowed to a near halt, all motion becoming measured and controlled by the air.

Yuki's lower lip slackened as he watched helplessly, his feet wanting to move but knowing they'd never make it in time. His heart stopped cold and every hair on his body raised. The words flitted from his mouth hopelessly, "No, Kyo…"

A yell that could be heard all across the entire parking lot echoed from the falling boy. He glided from the fifth story window, passing the glaring pane of glass on the fourth story, then picking up speed near the third story.

Yuki watched in a helpless heat of sorrow, his chest boiling in pain as the slow motion fall from afar seemed to pull his heart down at the same rate.

Akito was leering from the fifth story window. He watched triumphantly, hands still outstretched from the shove he'd issued. Over his shoulder, Hatori's horrified expression seemed a ghost of white against the inky blackness that Akito emanated.

A breath of life seemed to die in Yuki whilst he watched in morbid fascination, Kyo falling on by the third story and right on past the mirroring reflection from the window. He plummeted now towards the ledge above the second story.

For a moment, Yuki blinked, and upon opening his eyes, there was a change in the scenery. Kyo had uprighted himself in mid air, one hand stretching out and catching the ledge of the building. The orange headed boy collided with the plastic window and bounced off. His fall had halted, only to begin again a fifth of a second later. The fall continued, but stopped short on the first ledge just above the first story. With a climactic thud, the entire fall ended with a head splitting crack into the garden below. All breathing halted.

Pounding feet echoed in Yuki's mind, and it took him a moment to figure out that they were his own. He was carried on a cloud of air to his companion's side, breath coming in quick hyperventilating gasps. For a moment, the boy lost sight of the cat behind a piece of the garden trees, but quickly rounded the corner and brushed past the tree limbs. He stared at the lawn, empty and bare.

The cat was gone.

And all that remained was a torn piece of hospital gown and two deep holed footprints imbedded in the soft earth.

* * *

Was it everything you wanted and more? (is cowering behind bullet proof glass anyway)

Angry? Unhappy? Pissed off? Extatically excited for the next chapter and feel the need to threaten me? Leave me a review! XD I have protection! (hides behind laptop)

Till the next death threat,

-Aia


	13. The Hunted

Ahhh….hi? (hides behind shield)

Guess what? I still don't have a memory card! I'm in Hawaii! And I managed to hook my laptop up to the internet! Do you know why? Because I was getting some serious death threats. oO So I wrote this shorty little filler chapter for you. (hides again) I'M SORRY! Next chapter, I promise, will be big and mushy and wonderful. I PROMISE.

But I need the support, because… my muses are still trying to escape. So feed my ego, leave a review!

* * *

Chapter 13: The Hunted

* * *

A string of expletives wanted to stream from Kyo's lips, but he couldn't get the breath out. He could only gargle in the back of his throat and cough when the air wouldn't come to him completely.

"Fcckkkk….." he managed through gritted teeth, eyes wide in terror. There was no thought in his mind except to _run._ He was going to run like death was biting at his back. He wasn't dead, and he should have been. A terrifying thought entered his head, lips curling into a psychotic morbid smile. _So this is when the hunter becomes the hunted!_

o0O0o

"Fan out towards the left more! You're uneven!"

"We're looking for the cat, right?"

"Yes! He's gone mad! We have to catch him before he kills anyone else!"

"He's killed someone!"

"That's what I heard, too! Akito tried to stop him but he jumped out a fifth story window and took off running!"

"Wasn't he injured?"

"He's a monster! There's no stopping him!"

"Be careful, everyone!"

The search party made of Sohmas, extended relatives but all within the Sohma residence, were spanned around a half mile radius of the hospital. Assembled instantly by Akito's high command, all those close enough had dropped what they were doing to search for the rogue cat.

"I heard he's trying to tell the entire world about the curse!"

"Damn that kid… he's going to get us all killed somehow! We have to stop him."

The family finally had a reason to take out their well bred disdain for him. Having been given the opportunity to finally act on their hatred towards the most cursed family member of the Sohmas, they did not waste time.

o0O0o

Haru growled in annoyance, his temper flaring through eyes of fire. "Damn Akito!" he snarled, watching from a hill above the hospital grounds, and the semi-populated city streets. "Damn, damn, damn him!" A rock was hurled at one of the searchers, pouncing off his back. The man turned confused, then glared at the children on the top of the hill.

"You kids get inside!" he barked, motioning to the hospital.

"UP YOURS!" Haru ground out, raising his middle finger to the relative, then chucking another rock. He turned sharply to Momiji. "Stop crying! We have to find Kyo before they do." he snapped, then pointed incriminatingly at Hiro. "You too, brat!"

A controlling hand engulfed one of Haru's bitter shaking shoulders. "Haru. Stop talking and start searching. You three start looking, but keep hidden from the others."

"Where are you going?" Momiji whispered through tear stained cheeks and pink pouting lips. He dried his eyes on one fluffy sleeve, finally ceasing the tears.

"I'm going to go look, too." Yuki spotted a familiar car pulling into the parking lot, then the long robe of his guardian and caretaker. "Go on."

The white rabbit clung tightly to the lanky teenager's hand, eyes wide in sorrow, "They made up lies! Akito lied to them! He said Kyo had killed someone! And that he's trying to tell the world about us! And I heard someone else say that Kyo lost his mind and he's got rabies!"

Yuki released an anxious sigh, shaking the blonde from him. "There's nothing we can do about the rumors."

"What about the plan?" Haru murmured, eyes shading over in a limited amount of self control.

"Ruined. Hatori and Ren are with him. We need to corner him alone. We missed the window…" He watched Shigure's roaming eyes, the dark orbs resting on the teens on the hill.

"I'm going this way." Yuki let gravity carry his weary feet down the hill at a semi-fast jog. "Shigure!"

The dog man looked up curiously, scanning the chaos that seemed to have erupted around the hospital. "Yuki… is he alive?"

The rat prince gazed out along the streets and hospital gardens. Patients were being ushered back into their rooms, and staff members were trying to calm the panic that had begun to shift towards hysterics. Rumors of a _killer_ on the loose had spread.

"He's alive… mostly. We have to find him before the search party does, or he'll be killed for sure."

Shigure didn't say anything, his eyes suddenly traveling towards the city part of the search area. "He's with other cats…trying to throw his scent off. It looks like he doesn't trust me either."

Yuki scowled, "Has he a reason to trust any of us right now?"

Shigure grimaced. He heaved a sigh and sniffed the air, eyes drifting shut. "I can't look for him, or I'll find him. And I'll have to bring him back to Akito. I'll stall them, you find him and run." he glanced to Yuki's broken expression.

A mixture of hopelessness and anger mixed within the prince, causing his neck to ache and his body to shiver. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it." The taller man's eyes suddenly snapped wide, honed in on a small area towards the opposite direction the search party was drifting towards. "There. He's in hiding. Somewhere near that antique store I think." he turned casually, "We're being watched, so don't go directly to him." Shigure advised, locking his car slowly and tucking the keys away. "I'm going to go see how he is doing."

Yuki scowled, resisting the urge to lash out at the stupid porn obsessed man. "If you had any balls you'd kill the bastard."

Shigure cast a warm smile over his shoulder, "I must have been neutered as a pup. He's out for your blood now, Yuki. You've attacked Akito. You're not going to escape him you know." he tried to persuade gently. "Plead to him…? And you'll have more time." he suggested quietly, wincing at the scowl he was rewarded. "Or not. Better run, it looks like word is spreading about you as well." he motioned to the Sohma men that were headed across the parking lot at quick paces.

Yuki's heart rose to his throat, he bolted, the men taking chase and yelling at their prey.

He cursed as he ran, feeling the pain from his fight with Akito trying to detriment his escape. The bastard was even trying to stop him while they were nowhere near each other! He sighed grimly. A hunted rat had no choice but to run.

* * *

I PROMISE! Next chapter! Big, mushy, wonderful! Remember all the kissing and such? Kyo and Yuki confront!

-Andraia


	14. Red Sky at Night

Chapter 14: Red Sky at Night

Kyo squirmed, snarling as an antique lamp tumbled down from atop a pile of old junk, landing with a thud on the top of his head.

"Ow!" He hissed through clenched teeth, projecting his anger onto the lamp and smashing the lamp shade on his knee.

It was not the most convenient hiding place, but the little shed had a plethora of felines roaming about the outside, and enough dust to choke any sniffing beasts that dare look for him. Besides, he couldn't have gone much further with the condition of his legs being so low. Five stories. His mind was still reeling from the adrenaline coursing in every vein of his body. Each hair stood on end and his skin crawled at the possible messy splatter he should have been in that garden. It was pure instinct that he latched onto the ledge and landed on his feet.

The cat flipped his head backwards against an old oak desk, wondering to himself how he'd ever been able to run on the feet he couldn't even walk on when he got out of his hospital bed. He'd run so fast, so hard.

A lesson Shishou once taught him surfaced to the front of his mind, making him smile.

_"There was once a rabbit, small and white, that lived in the forest by himself in the bushes. One day, a hungry wolf, strongest wolf in the forest, spotted the weak little rabbit sitting out in the open eating its lunch. Which is stronger, the wolf or the rabbit?"_

_Kyo proudly answered, "The wolf is, Shishou!" _

_"That's right! The wolf took chase, knowing he would have a meal of the rabbit in no time. He was strong and muscular and fast, whereas the rabbit was weak and slow. What do you think happened?"_

_The six year old paused and shrugged, "The wolf caught the rabbit?"_

_"No. The rabbit ran with all its worth and escaped." Shishou smiled mysteriously._

_Kyo's lips pouted out, "Nu-huh. The wolf is way faster, Shishou! The rabbit couldn't have escaped!"_

_"Ah, but you see…" Shishou leaned sideways and smiled, "The wolf was running for his lunch, the rabbit was running for his _life_. Which do you think you would try harder to get? Would you run faster if you were about to die, or if you just wanted a snack?"_

Kyo nodded in understanding as if Shishou had just pointed that out to him. The mind and body combined in times of crisis to create a momentary burst of strength, even if the body had none. It was tiring and painful afterwards, but necessary for any animal to survive the world.

Unfortunately, Kyo pointed out the harsh reality that he may have exhausted what reserves he had left from that time of life and death escape. His body ached, his limbs felt detached, and his head was floating on a cloud of confusion.

"Meeooowww!" A pleading voice bated Kyo from outside the shed.

His hissed and tried to shoo the cats away, only to earn further interest from the felines outside.

He was miserable and annoyed, knowing they could give away his position soon if he didn't do something. There was nothing he _could_ do, though. Only to sit and rest and regain his strength.

"Ee!"

Kyo's head snapped back in curiosity and surprise. He smirked lightly as a rat skittered beneath a pile of boxes. "I can't believe you got past the killers out there." he muttered, ignoring the fearful rodent.

_Ktunk_.

The door swung open with a threateningly quick woosh. A looming grey figure stepped forward, and no sooner had the door opened, did it close. Kyo gaped, trying to find words as he stared at Yuki's knees. "What-what are you doing?" he murmured the first phrase that passed the front of his mind.

"I could ask you the same thing." Yuki stared down at him, eyes wide with the mixture of excitement and revelry. "You fell a very long ways, Kyo." he murmured, "You can't be doing all that well."

"Not with you leading them to me!" The red head spat quietly, "I can barely move... you're not safe here. If they track me down, I can't run." he stared at his sore and twisted feet.

Yuki crouched down, knees nearly knocking Kyo's chin space was so limited. He bowed his head over the red heads and whispered ever so softly. "Kyo... I'm going to fight with you. Will you let me?"

A dry scoff was his short reply. "Meh... why not. I don't know what I'm gonna do with you though. You're better off fighting alone."

Yuki smiled lightly, having already predicted such an answer. He lowered his head just a bit more, lips pressing to the cat's hairline ever so delicately. "Kyo... let's get out of here." The breathless plea sent shivers down both their spines. Gravity of the situation settled slightly, and they locked eyes. For a split second, there was a knowing between them. They both _knew_.

"Let's go." Kyo agreed.

o0O0o

"If you have money, there's a motel I know about." Kyo murmured, pulling a straight face through the pain of his entire body. There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't pained.

"We need to get you to another hospital." Yuki disagreed, hefting his partner in crime up by slinging his arm around the boy's waist and removing some of the weight.

Kyo didn't fight the helping hand, but snarled, "They'll be watching the hospitals."

"Then we need to get you to someone that is willing to help you." Yuki argued his point seriously. "You're in no condition to go unattended."

"Hm." Was his only response, eyes down casting in a mix of exhaustion and deep thought.

o0O0o

"Why do you know about such a horrid little motel?" Yuki's nose lifted in disapproval. It was a dingy, smelly little room, with rat poison all round that made Yuki squirm uncomfortably.

"... I come here to get away from the house sometimes." he explained, letting the grey haired boy lower him to the bed. He flopped onto his side, body groaning simultaneously with the bed springs. "Have pain killers on you by any chance?"

"No, but I can go buy a bottle in the office. I saw some overnight things for sale." He turned the heater up and flicked a lamp on beside the bed. "I'll be right back."

Kyo paid no attention as he left the room in a silent scuffle. The room seemed alive with the humming of the ugly old heater trying to boot up, and the lamp faded in and out with a buzzing noise.

o0O0o

"Sorry I was gone for so long!"

"Wuh?" Kyo's head rotated curiously. "You just left." he muttered, one hand running down his face.

"I've been gone for an hour." The rat prince gave the cat a warm smirk, "Falling asleep in the heat of escape are we?"

"You try staying awake when you've been asleep for the past however many weeks." he snarled, face burying into the bed. "All I want to do is sleep, rest... but I can't." he sighed, remembering suddenly Yuki had come with the promise of pain killers.

"I brought someone." The boy hesitated, then stepped aside to reveal none other than Hatori Sohma.

That skin on the cat's body bristled in fear and indignation. "It was a good hiding spot until you brought _him_ here you stupid rat." He hissed, sitting bolt up and glaring at the two who had stepped into the room.

"Kyo... he'll give us time to escape... but you need a doctor." Yuki insisted sternly. "Just let him do as much as he can for you, alright? Then we'll leave." he promised quickly.

An angry glare was set indecisively against Kyo's brow. "Hn."

"I'll give you money for a rental, and enough for a few days meals." Hatori whispered, setting a medical bag on the bed. "You should be very very dead, Kyo. Lay down please."

Albeit the tiny flame of outrage in his chest, Kyo laid back on the bed, watching his older family member begin to examine his feet for any obvious broken bones.

"You're lucky to be a cat, Kyo. That's all I can say."

o0O0o

"Kyo, I think it's time to stop now." Yuki murmured, shaking the cat awake.

"...How long have we been driving?" The blurry eyed boy noted that the moon was already a good few feet into the sky, and Yuki's eyes had grown red and puffy.

"About eight hours. It's two a.m."

"You could have stopped a while ago." Kyo murmured, rubbing his eyes to extinguish the blur in his vision.

"I could have... but why stop now that we've come so far?" he chuckled lightly, pulling into a promising looking motel.

o0O0o

"This is much nicer than the last one, don't you think?" Yuki glided to the bathroom to inspect the facilities. He smiled happily, "No rat poison either."

Kyo snorted and headed straight for the bed, staggering on his broken leg and flopping face first with a contented sigh. "Yuki..."

"Hn?" The pallid boy was already stripping of his outer clothes, down to his skivvies in which he would sleep at least somewhat comfortably. Kyo didn't continue his question for a long while, so Yuki took the time to walk forward and slip beneath the covers of the bed.

Kyo was reflecting though. He was remembering his faux comatose state, wherein the rat had doted him so much, and so lovingly. The doting was still there, but the loving voice had faded. Kyo missed the sweet touches, the soft murmurs in the night, the _kisses._ Oh, the kisses! How he envied himself for the past few weeks, getting such attention. Now all he got was scolding and pain killers. He shifted, wincing and undoing the movement to avoid a pained rib. Yuki was nearly asleep already. It was almost three in the morning, so his exhaustion was understandable. The day had been ridiculous.

Yuki had fought Akito, making him the second to rebel against the family tradition. Kyo smiled fondly to the drowsy face before him. What a dysfunctional pair they made. He took a deep breath, extending his hand to run through Yuki's uncombed hair. It was nice to be paired with someone though. Kyo had always be one against one hundred, never two against the world. It was nice to have an ally for once.

Yuki's breathing had evened into a deep repetitive pace, every once in a while a light snore forced its way out. Kyo looked around the room suspiciously, checking all the corners and the crevices for any sign of life. After waiting a satisfactory few seconds, the red head scooted forward and snuggled closer to the thin boy. Finally at a nice distance, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss directly to Yuki's parted lips. He retreated when Yuki began to inhale in his breathing, the boy being none the wiser of his stolen lips.

Kyo berated himself internally, but was content none the less. He got his kiss!

* * *

-- I am alive. Albeit popular belief. I'm sorry. So sorry. 


End file.
